


The Boy Next Door

by squishyhobi



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Childhood Friends, First Crush, M/M, childhood crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29981109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squishyhobi/pseuds/squishyhobi
Summary: Felix counts his childhood crush as his first love, he was truly enamoured with the boy next door. His first crush, something that will stay with him forever.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	1. Past

There's something about first love, you never forget them. No matter how many times in your life you fall in love, you never forget them - even if you didn’t impact their life as much - they impacted yours enough for you to be in love. Perhaps it was just a silly crush, but it was still first love. 

Felix’s first love was the neighbour’s son, he was a few years older, but they often played together in their backyards. The boy had a swing set that Felix adored, it also had a slide attached to it - every kid’s dream possession. He had a swimming pool put up in the summer too, and he always invited Felix over. Felix was infatuated with the kind boy who always smiled at him, he counted him as his best friend and he was sure the feeling was mutual. ‘My best friend’ he’d call him, and his mother would simply chuckle. Of course, Felix didn’t understand it from his friend’s perspective, to his friend, Felix was someone he wanted to look after just like a little brother. He didn’t count Felix as a best friend, because he had a best friend at his school - he thought it was the same for Felix, them playing together was just like brothers playing to him. 

Felix was eleven when things began to change, he could hear the laughter out in his neighbour’s backyard, he had friends over but Felix wasn’t invited. He asked his mother why he wasn’t invited to play and his mother kindly explained that time had to be made for other friends. It became a new pattern, perhaps once a week Felix was invited out, but that soon became less as well. It was then Felix realised that his best friend didn’t see him the same. 

When Felix was twelve, he learned that his neighbour, the boy he had known as his best friend, was leaving. He was moving away to another country, his family were staying but he was leaving. Felix didn’t understand why, and he wouldn’t stop crying when he was told, he hugged him the tightest he could. Felix remembered the comforting words his friend said, ‘you can still play at my house, my family will keep you company! When I can, I’ll come back to visit, it might be a while until then but I will visit, I promise.’ For Felix, it was the first time he experienced loss. He didn’t know where his friend was going or why he was leaving, but he had to accept it. 

Over the years, Felix grew up and carried on with his life, it wasn’t too long until he realised what he felt for the neighbour boy wasn’t just friendship - he had a crush on him. However as he grew older he realised how silly he was as a child to have a crush on the older boy. It wasn’t a realistic scenario, the fourteen year old must have been tired of the eleven year old following him around like a lost puppy.

That memory, the memory of the neighbour boy Felix was enamoured with, it stuck with him as he grew up, even as he flirted and developed relationships with other boys - he’d find himself wondering what happened to his first crush. His family didn’t tell Felix much, it seemed like he was being shut out of his life. Felix would be okay, he could grow and get past it all. 

At the age of nineteen, Felix said goodbye to his family at the Sydney Airport and left on a flight to South Korea. He had been inspired to do so by a friend he met online, Jisung - they met each other as a joke at first, since their birthdays were so close Jisung joked it was fate for them to be friends, like twin brothers. Through this friendship, Felix decided to continue his studies in South Korea - knowing he had already secured a friend nearby because of Jisung. It wasn’t so simple as just getting a place and studying, however, Felix needed to find himself a job - it didn’t take too long for that to happen, Jisung gladly helped him get settled in at the coffee shop he worked out - now they were best friends and co-workers.

It was a new life, Felix was starting to feel like he might be able to forget that old memory of the neighbour he had a crush on… But of course fate didn’t work that way.

It was a day that seemed just like any other, Felix was working late at the cafe, he had just bid farewell to Jisung who had finished his shift. It was almost empty in the cafe now, but since they were near buildings where people were working 24/7, it was good business for them to be open overnight. Felix was used to people coming in, since they usually seemed very covered up, he was sure they were idols - the buildings nearby were entertainment companies so it made sense to him. Although he loved kpop and admired many idols, even if he recognised the eyes and voice of the person ordering, he stayed calm - he was at work, he couldn’t scream with excitement. However, he usually ended up telling Jisung, ‘you’ll never guess who I saw today’ was used a lot at the start of their conversations. 

This time though, as the bell of the door rang late at night, the man entering wasn’t covered head to toe like most customers at this time. He was on the phone, laughing with whoever he was speaking to. That laugh sounded familiar and warm, it made Felix smile. The dark hair of the customer fell in natural curls, his face looked friendly, Felix couldn’t take his eyes off of him. 

When their eyes met, Felix throat his breath hitch, those eyes. Those eyes were so kind and welcoming, they were his. 

The customer ended his phone call, his eyes still glued to Felix’s, he slowly approached the counter as a smile began to grow on his face, “Felix? Hey, do you remember me?”

Felix swallowed, allowing his smile to mirror the customer’s, he let out a deep sigh and then a chuckle, “are you kidding? I could never forget my first love, Chris.”


	2. Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix catches up with the boy he once had a crush on. Thins go better than he could have expected.

Childhood friends, reunited. It felt like a dream. There he was, standing in front of Felix, perhaps Felix was already falling again. He looked gorgeous. It was a shame Felix was still on his shift, he wanted to sit down and talk with Chris all night now that he’d seen him. He put together Chris’s order and took it over to a table where Chris was sitting. It was almost teasing, he was sitting there and Felix couldn’t sit with him… Still, other than a few late night customers that were having their drinks to go, it was empty in the cafe. Other than Chris, the silence grew daunting and finally Felix found an opportunity to speak as he cleaned tables. 

“Why did you move here? I was never told why…”

No response, Felix glanced over to Chris, he was on a laptop, focused hard it seemed. Felix just stood still, watching Chris for a moment. Then, Chris looked up, making Felix jump and focus on cleaning the table in front of him. Chris let out a laugh as he pulled out the airpods he was wearing, oh, that made sense for him not responding. 

“Are you alright?”

“Um,” Felix cleared his throat, “well… Why did you move here?” He repeated the question, “I never found out why.”

“Oh… Well, I wanted to follow my dream career.”

“What’s that?”

“Music production,” Chris gestured to his laptop.

“You’re a producer?” Felix rushed forward in excitement, he quickly took a seat opposite Chris, “I guess it’s working out well for you, you’ve been here like… Eight years now.”

“My family always came here,” Chris quickly explained, “I… I promised you I’d visit but I never did… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Felix shrugged, “I spent… Two years waiting for the day you’d come back, but after that I gave up. I couldn’t wait all the time. I gave up and grew up.”

Chris closed his laptop and leaned forward, “I missed you so much, eight years without seeing little Felix? And look at you now…”

“Chris-”

“I haven’t been called that in so long,” he smiled.

“Oh?”

“Mm, I mostly get called Chan.”

“Oh yeah, your Korean name,” Felix nodded, “I guess I did forget one thing about you…”

Chan laughed with Felix, he seemed to look at him fondly - Felix felt that he could get lost in those dreamy eyes, “uh… Sorry, I interrupted you, what were you saying?”

Felix cleared his throat and gave a nod, “right, yes, I was going to ask about your job, how is it?”

Chan straightened up proudly, “well…” He opened his laptop again and turned the screen to Felix, “I’m currently producing a track for TWICE, you know them?”

“Know them? Chan I love them! Oh my God, have you produced their songs before?!”

Chan nodded, “yeah, other groups and artists too, but I’ve been kind of a main producer for them for a while. They’re really sweet, they’re like sisters to me.”

Felix whined, “that’s so cute, I’m really glad you’re doing well here…”

“What are you doing here? I mean, other than working in this cafe?”

“I’m studying here,” Felix announced proudly, “I’m doing fashion! I really- I really enjoy clothes, being able to look beautiful just because of a piece of material, it’s magical.”

Chan seemed amazed by this information, he clapped his hands together, “you’ll have to give me some fashion advice! Oh, wait, wait… If you ever need to find a different job or anything, I think they actually have an internship opening up at the company, in wardrobe.”

“You’re joking,” Felix’s eyes were wide with shock, “I mean, that sounds like such a good offer but… But I like working here, and I like studying. But an internship… That would be amazing. Maybe I should finish studying first.”

Chan nodded, “of course, of course. Don’t rush into things,” he closed his laptop again and scooted his chair around the table, “Felix… I feel so bad that we lost contact, but now we’ve got the chance to stay friends, do you want to stay in contact with me?”

Felix nodded, “yes please, I’d love that.”

Chan held out his phone to Felix, “put your number in my contacts,” Felix followed the request, he quickly put his number in Chan’s phone, not seeing Felix’s eyes staying on him the whole time, “Lix… What did you mean? You said ‘I could never forget my first love’.”

“Oh, um,” Felix looked up, he passed Chan’s phone back to him when he had finished putting the number in, “well… I had a massive crush on you, you were someone I really admired.”

“That’s so sweet,” a small chuckle escaped Chan, “I hope… I hope you find those feelings resurface.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, you’re quite cute Felix, I can’t lie about that.”

Felix felt his cheeks heat up, he was blushing, “Chan… You’re so forward.”

“I just wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity,” Chan chuckled, he looked down, drumming his fingers on the table, “but, if you’re uncomfortable with what I’ve said, I’ll step back.”

Felix shook his head, “I admire your confidence, Chan. Well, even if I don’t take up the offer of the internship at your company, I think I’d like to take up another offer if you have one.”

Chan raised his eyebrows, he reached out for Felix’s hand and ran his thumb along his skin, a smile showing on his face again, “Felix… I would like to offer to see you again soon, when you’re not working. It would be nice for us to go on a date.”

There was an overwhelming amount of joy, Felix was ecstatic, he couldn’t even try to frown. He eagerly nodded, practically bursting from the seams with excitement, “yes, yes please! I’d love that, ah, a date with my first love - isn’t that perfect?”

“It is, it’s absolutely perfect. Although… I want to make it even more perfect.”

“Perfecting perfection? I’m falling for you even more.”

Chan let out a laugh, he lifted Felix’s hand and quickly kissed his knuckles, “I can’t wait for what the future holds for us, Felix. It’s going to be a thrill for us both.”

First love conquered for Felix, fate had brought them together again at a suitable age. The dream Felix had as a child was now coming true, he was going to get his love story with Christopher Bang.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll definitely be writing a second part to this at some point but I'm going to try make it so they can both work together and as stand alone stories!


End file.
